


Strange

by FictionalFeli



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Nationverse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-15 18:28:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29688126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FictionalFeli/pseuds/FictionalFeli
Summary: Nations are weird.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 7





	Strange

**Author's Note:**

> I thought to myself "meeting a nation must be such a weird experience"  
> and this was born.

“Who’s that?” Ryan asked gesturing out the café window to a figure seated on a bench.

“I know Iceland has a small population but you can’t expect me to know everyone y’know” Gunnar complained but he still took a glance out the window just to humour his friend.

There, seated on the bench, with a puffin perched on his ashen head of hair, was a young man. He pulled something out of a bag, Gunnar couldn’t tell what it was, and gave it to the two puffins that had gathered at his feet, then gave another to the one perched on his shoulder, before putting one in his mouth himself.

His eyes widened in surprise

“Some kind of Puffin whisperer” Ryan muttered having not noticed his friend’s reaction.

“No, it’s much more than that” Gunnar perked up and looked excitedly at Ryan who seemed to pick up on his friends’ sudden burst of energy “You’re in luck. Not many people get to see Iceland, talk less of tourists”

“Iceland?” Ryan asked eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“Yes that’s what I said” Gunnar grinned.

Ryan had been invited for a conference that was to take place in Reykjavik. He decided to inform Gunnar his close friend from college way back, that he was coming over. Gunnar, of course had been delighted to hear this, and had offered to be Ryan's tour guide once the conference was over. Ryan had been very pleased with the idea as well but he had forgotten how weird Gunnar could be sometimes. This was one of those times.

“You’re not making any sense I’m in Iceland right now”

“No, No” Gunnar chuckled “He is Iceland.”

He said shifting his head in the direction of the strange puffin boy outside. More puffins had gathered at his feet now. And the one on his head had now relocated to his shoulder

“Spirit of the land you could say.” Gunnar clarified “Care for some Aquavit?”

Ryan really loved his buddy Gunnar. But sometimes the things he said were just strange and he was pretty sure it was way too early for him to be drinking.

“No thanks” he said holding up his cup of coffee while Gunnar shrugged and poured some for himself.

Ryan decided he was going to play along, after all, it was probably just like that time in college Gunnar convinced him the dorm gardener was actually a garden gnome.

In retrospect, that was more of his fault than Gunnar's. George never quite forgave them for what they did to his flower beds.

“If he’s a spirit-” Ryan asked “then how is he doing that? You never told me your country was haunted or some shit.”

“Not that kind of Spirit” Gunnar chuckled again “He’s the physical embodiment of the land. A Personification so to speak”

Ryan scoffed “I knew you were one for crazy talk but come on that’s just ridiculous.”

“It’s true” Gunnar shrugged taking a swig of his drink.

“Okay if he’s an embodiment or whatever-”

“Personification”

“-Yeah Yeah, then why is he out there feeding puffins.”

“Well he looks human doesn’t he. He’s just doing what humans do.”

Ryan wasn’t so sure about that as he saw the ever growing crowd of puffins continue to gather round the young man’s feet as he continued to toss whatever it was he was eating to the birds.

_Pretty sure no human has hair that colour though._

“Even if he is “Iceland” as you put it, He looks like a teenager. Isn’t Iceland an old country?”

“Yes”

Ryan waited for Gunnar to continue but it seemed like that was all Gunnar was giving him here.

“How do you know this then?”

“Well” Gunnar trailed off “My grandfather met him when he was a small boy. And back when I was living with him in Dalvik we saw him. He hasn’t changed a bit and if I were to take grandfathers word for it he hasn’t changed since he saw him either.”

“Dude! That’s like a 100 years, or even more!” Ryan exclaimed despite himself.

He couldn’t help but grow more curious at the, Boy? Man? Spirit? seated on the bench feeding puffins.

Ryan had never been one to believe in the supernatural but a thousand questions swirled in his mind

"How many people know about this"

"Oh most Icelanders see him at least once. This so happens to be my third time."

"Is he that elusive."

"You could say that" Gunnar mused "He keeps to himself most of the time. I think he's just shy."

Ryan swirled his coffee cup before taking a long sip.

“Wouldn’t it get lonely,being alive for so long

“I wouldn't know. Besides-” Gunnar scratched his beard “he gets visits. I’ve seen him with other spirits before. Or I think they were spirits. They’re probably from other countries”

“Other count….” Ryan sputtered getting more invested in this than he’d care to admit “Does that mean America could have one too”

“I don’t see why not.”

They sat In silence for a while as Ryan pondered about this information a while longer

“This is just like the "gardener gnome" situation isn’t it”

At this Gunnar snorted

“No it isn’t” he laughed “but I don’t blame you if you don’t believe me.”

_Unfortunately or fortunately Ryan’s curiosity got the better of him. He had to confirm this. The idea seemed quite absurd. "Nations as human beings" think of all the knowledge they had._

Ryan got up from his chair abruptly, almost spilling his half-drunk coffee

“I’m going to ask him myself”

Gunnar quirked an eyebrow, then shrugged, he knew there was no point in arguing Ryan had always been like this. He liked to get to the bottom of things. An endearing trait really. “Don’t think that’s going to be of much help.”

If Ryan heard him he didn’t say anything and he walked out the café to the direction of the strange puffin man.

* * *

Ryan approached the "land spirit" who was wiping down crumbs from his shirt. Apparently he had been feeding them some sort of fish snack. The puffins continued to peck at the crumbs on the floor and paid Ryan no mind. Which was strange in and of itself.

“Hello”

The spirit glanced up and

Ryan's brown eyes were instantly met with deep lilac eyes that he could only describe as unnatural.

“Hello?” was the response in a thick Icelandic accent

Ryan suddenly felt very intimidated

A quick glance towards the café window and there was Gunnar with a sly grin on his face. Then he waved to Ryan before getting up probably to have a chat with one of the waitresses.

_Asshole_

"May I help you

“I-uh” he cleared his throat “I’m a tourist and I just wanted to know if what my friend over there says is true.”

_Just spit it out_

“Are you really the spirit of the Land?” he blurted out.

Silence

An uncomfortable amount at that

Ryan was sure he probably sounded insane. Heck he was sure even the puffin on his shoulder was given him a strange look. Nothing like embarrassing yourself in another country.

Ryan was starting to wander if he should repeat his question or just leave when the young man emptied the remaining crumbs from the packet of fishcrackers.

" _Farðu burt_ " he said

At this all the puffins flew away except the one that was on his shoulder which moved to perch on his head instead.

“Isn’t that uncomfortable.” Ryan asked despite himself

The spirit sighed and said

“Yes and No”

Then looking at him again he said

“Who put you up to this?”

“I’m not sure what you mean but my friend told me that you’re a spirit”

The strange boy glanced in Gunnar’s direction and then sighed

"Not a spirit. A personification"

Ryan's eyes went wide

"No way" he exclaimed "Do you mean to tell me you are Iceland, like the country? Why are you here? How does that even work? Are you the nation incarnate or is the nation you incarnate? How do I know what you're saying is even real? Are there others? What-"

Ryan was interrupted by a small breathy sound. It took Ryan a while to realize that the boy was laughing. That seemed to stop his train of questions and he felt slightly embarrassed.

“Clearly one of America’s alright” he said clearly amused

Ryan didn't get to question that statement when the spirit-nation- ** _Iceland_** got up, the puffin remaining perfectly balanced on his head and held out his hand which Ryan took hesitantly.

If one were to ask Ryan what it was he saw as soon as the personification locked eyes with him he wouldn’t be able to accurately describe it.

Ryan saw what felt like hundreds of years pass by but at the same time he saw the past five minutes of conversation he had been having with the nation. He felt surrounded by thousands of voices floating around him, yet he could hear Erik talking to a waiter in the Café. He saw the nation with four figures seated at a table and one that bore a striking resemblance to Iceland himself. He saw Chiefs, Kings and Presidents.The sound of rivers flowing, geysers erupting. He felt the heat of the magma beneath the very many volcanoes that dotted the island and the chill of the wind. Then he heard what sounded like a resounding drum that turned out to be the sound of beating hearts from the nation's inhabitants. Then a voice that sounded like one and many all at once filled his ears.

“ **WELCOME TO ICELAND"**

Then all of a sudden it was over. Ryan blinked once then twice then three more times his hand still dangling mid air. He was standing alone in front of a bench.

The personification was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

“So how’d it go?”

Gunnar asked as Ryan approached the café table.

Ryan just sat down and said nothing while he stared out the window in the direction of the empty bench.

Gunnar was about to ask again when Ryan spoke

“I think-.” Ryan said

“I think I’ll have that drink now”

**Author's Note:**

> If the Hetalia nations were real. I find it hard to believe most people won't know about nation avatars in a country like Iceland. I mean there are more people in my city than Iceland and word gets round.  
> This also plays into my Headcanon that Looking directly into a nations eyes can be extremely trippy if said nation holds you while you do it.


End file.
